


This Time

by AstoundinglyMade



Series: late night musings [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bad Decisions, Drinking, M/M, Mutual Pining, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2020-09-08 04:10:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20306020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AstoundinglyMade/pseuds/AstoundinglyMade
Summary: "You're drunk enough to have forgotten we don't play this game anymore." Remus meets Sirius' stern look with his bottom lip between his teeth and gives his hands a tug, testing the strength of Sirius' hold, before leaning in close."Maybe I miss it."





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pixelated](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pixelated/gifts).

"You've been drinking, Moony." Sirius tries to keep his voice even as he peels Remus' fingers out of the front of his shirt and makes a move to turn around.

"'m not drunk." He's only managed to get one of Remus' hands free and is about to resort to tickling when he feels breath and then warm lips against his neck. Predictably, he freezes and Remus has him held tight against his chest again. Sirius counts to five, willing his heart to calm then puts all his strength into wrenching free.

"You're drunk enough to have forgotten we don't play this game anymore." Remus meets Sirius' stern look with his bottom lip between his teeth and gives his hands a tug, testing the strength of Sirius' hold, before leaning in close.

"Maybe I miss it."  _ Kill me now _ . Sirius takes a step forward and then another and is grateful that Remus is allowing himself to be herded toward the couch. "Maybe I want to play it again."  _ Where the fuck is James _ ? Three more steps, two, one, then the careful dance of pushing Remus into the seat without being pulled down by him in the effort. It's not like Sirius hasn't also been drinking, although he's wishing right about now that he'd had less, or much more, because this is one of those moments you want to either have your full facilities about you, or know for sure you won’t remember any of this tomorrow.

"You only miss the first part, Moony. Trust me."  _ Honestly, James, the one time I'm looking for you _ . "Evans! Lily! Can you get James for me? Yeah, no, he's okay, I just need a bit of help." It's a second before he realises Remus has used his distraction to pull himself forward on the couch and has his legs locked behind his ankles, knees pressed into the sides of his legs. "Come on, love, you need to cut that out, James is coming."

"Ooh, not James!" Remus' attempt at humour falls flat in the face of Sirius' frustration, not that he notices. He's too busy trying to wriggle his hands free to care that everything around them has just gotten very tense.

"What's this, Padfoot? Lily said you needed help?" James is looking very pointedly between Sirius' face and the way Remus is determinedly working to wrap more of himself around Sirius' lower half.  _ Fucking typical _ , Sirius thinks, as he sees James eyeing him up for an explanation.  _ Remus is the one who's drunk off his ass and trying to grope me, but somehow this is my fault? _

"I just need you to take him up to bed, James." Remus has his cheek pressed into Sirius' thigh as he talks, and Sirius is just grateful he seems happy to stay there.  _ If he turned his head… _ "He's not himself right now, and I don't want him to get hurt. Please."

James leans down just a little to meet Remus' eye and then, seeming satisfied, crosses his arms over his chest and rises back up to face Sirius. "We talked about this."

"Yes, I remember," he gets out, just as Remus seems to figure out exactly how close his face is to Sirius' crotch. "No! Stop it!" It's a bit of a hop and a tenuous second when he thinks he might fall, but eventually Remus is back on the couch and Sirius is, thankfully? regrettably? undefiled.

"But I want to play it again," Remus whines into the temporary silence.

"Well I don't." He hopes his tone is stronger than he feels, because god damnit, it isn't that he doesn't want this. "Please James, just take him to bed."

"Fine. But you'll fix this." James steps forward and reaches down to hook Remus under the arms. "Let's go to bed, Moony. Come on, I'll get you all tucked in."

"Me? I'll fix this?" Sirius takes a gasping breath, now that he can, now that Remus isn't burrowing into him, threatening the resolve he's barely holding. "I'm not the one who got drunk and tried to maul someone."  _ He should be giving me an award for restraint. Does he not know what it takes to say no to this? _

James has Remus turned toward the stairs, one arm around his back to steady him. "This time."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the morning after Remus drunkenly came on to Sirius and James is tired of having to be the one who steps in to right things. In the far too bright light of morning, he's determined to get this sorted once and for ask.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the lovely Pixelated.
> 
> With a special thank you to Chromat1cs for the beta.

"Please stop?"

"Yeah, I don't think so." It's so dismissive that James doesn't even stop moving in his half stand to reach across Evans for the syrup as he says it.

"My head though." Remus is quite properly whining now. "It hurts so much."

"Does it?" There's no mistaking the noise James is making as he sits, and rearranges his plate, and his cutlery, and seemingly all the serving dishes too, as accidental. "Does it hurt enough yet to make you second guess pulling another stunt like last night?"

"I told you, James, I have no idea what you're talking about." He's got his head on the table quite properly now, his arms wrapped protectively over his eyes and ears. "We went to the party, I danced with Dorcas until Marls finally got brave enough to do something about it, had a beer or three with Gid, then you hauled me bodily out of bed and now we're here. Whatever part of that made you angry, just tell me, please, so I can go back to feeling like I want to die in bed." 

"You're unbelievable." It's the barely controlled tone James usually saves for post loss huddles with the team. "You think I'd be this angry because you had a few beers and went to bed? Are you kidding me right now? Look at my face. Do I look 'a few beers' angry?"

"No, but also I'm refusing to open my eyes so…"

"This isn't funny." It is though. James is barely seventeen and was quite prominently also drunk at the party last night, but here he is holding the entire Gryffindor table's attention as he squares his shoulders and pushes his end of the bench back, other students be damned. "I'm so sick of this. I'm sick of having to clean up after you and I'm sick of being called in to separate the two of you like you're children caught fighting." He's on his feet now, angrily wiping his hands with the napkin from his lap before throwing it too hard back toward the table. "Get up."

If the voice doesn't do it the hand digging tight into Remus' shoulder does, and all at once he finds himself upright, calves knocking against the bench he's being pulled over before his eyes have even had time to adapt. "What the hell, James? Where are we going?"

_ "Where are we going?" _ He's moved on to muttering.

"Stop. Just, please." Remus yanks his arm back hard enough to get it free and they both freeze halfway across the entrance hall. "I don't… Okay. I don't know what I've done." Remus is speaking slowly, deliberately.  _ Maybe if I can just calm him down. _ "Tell me where we're going and I'll take care of it."

James clenches and releases his fists once then again, head tipped to the ceiling in exasperation. One deep breath, then another, before he finally drags his eyes down and looks at Remus incredulous. "You really don't remember, do you?"

"Remember what?" He's genuinely confused and apparently it shows, because this earns him a laugh.

"Unbelievable. You two are unbelievable." James turns toward the front doors with a shake of his head. "Alright then, let's do this."

"Do what?" Remus stumbles in his hurry to catch up and loses his bearings for a moment to the dizziness of his alcohol addled brain.  _ Why are these lights so bright anyway _ . "Please." It's whiney and out before he can stop it. "I can't, please, can we just walk? I feel like shit and I'm obviously about to have to do something awful. Just walk, okay? Just, let's walk." His words slowing as he goes as if that will somehow drag the pace as well. "We'll walk and you can tell me what I've done."

"Yeah, sure." James pulls the door and lets Remus pass through before following. "Head toward the stables. At least he's predictable."

Remus makes the turn narrowly avoiding a group of Ravenclaw girls too caught up in their conversation to see him. "Who's… Oh."  _ Shit _ .

"Yeah, oh." James' words have laughter in them in contrast to Remus' obvious shock. "Any of this coming back to you yet?"

"No?" It's pitiful, really, how small his voice sounds even to himself. "What, James? What did I do?"

"This time? Does it matter?" James looks back from where he's walking just ahead and offers a charitable smile. "Same as always. One of you got a little too drunk and more than a little too handsy and I got called in to stop it."

"Me."

"Yeah, you." James is moving again, picking his way across the lawns. "Could have been you, could have been him, don't really care. What I do care about," he says, while waving Remus up to walk beside him, "is it not happening again."

Remus lets out something that sounds like frustration distilled and wipes a hand over his clearly still-tired face. They're nearly at the edge of the forest now. He's got maybe three minutes before he has to face Sirius, with James watching no less, and if his head would stop pounding that would be fantastic right about now. "Alright. I want to do this alone though."

James turns, his face a near comic show of sceptical consideration. Remus draws what he can in the way of resolve and holds his head forward. "You get one chance, Lupin."

"Lupin? Really?" Remus looks over to make a joke about James taking this dad role a little too far, but bites it back as soon as he sees the hard set of his face. "Yeah, okay. It's not like I like it either. I'll do it."

"Good." Just the one word delivered, hard and curt, and then his receding back making its way back to the castle.

  
  
  
  


It doesn't take long for Remus to find Sirius after that. There are only a few buildings back here and he's partial to the thestrals anyway. A little on the nose for the broody disowned heir of a pureblood dynasty, but it's also so bloody adorable Remus can't even bring himself to even tease

Sirius is leaned up against the wooden rail of their enclosure when Remus comes around the main stables and he can't help but just stand for a minute and watch him. Sirius is sharp corners and good posture even in his best attempt at bedraggled. Even here, shirt untucked under his school sweater, mud caked to the soles of his oxfords, he's still long lines and a kind of ease that only comes from knowing you belong.

"Hey."

Remus moves slowly along the chipped wood path, taking care to avoid the muddiest sections and trying his best, even now, to delay the inevitable.

"Hey." Remus looks up only just enough to confirm he isn't the only uncomfortable one here, then settles himself on the top edge, legs bent, heels of his school shoes hooked over the bottom rail.

"James said…no. I don't want to do it that way. Hold on." Remus works his thumb through the worn hole in the hem of his t-shirt. "Okay, look. I acted like an ass last night and from what I gather, you saved me from making it worse. Thank you." He can't quite bring himself to look at Sirius though, so he does his best and moves his hand a little closer to his as a gesture and hopes it says what he means it to. "I'm sorry."

Sirius nods ever so slightly and pushes himself up to standing, eyes still fixed into the middle distance, hips flush now with the fence. "I'm not."

"Yeah, okay. I deserve that." Remus is rambling into his hands. "James already let into me, but you totally deserve to too. We talked about this, I know we did. We said it would stop and I didn't stop. I'm really...I can't.."

"Can you stop talking for one fucking minute?" Sirius' tone is frustrated, sure, but there's something else in it Remus can't identify. "I'm not sorry and I'm really hoping you're not sorry either."

"Sirius…"

"No." Sirius pushes himself off the rail in one fluid motion and then he's standing in front of Remus. "I know we've had this talk and I remember how it ended but I'm not sorry. I want us to be more than a drunken mistake." He's hovering just in front of Remus now, eyes soft. Voice softer.

Movement again in place of the words Remus can't seem to find as he tips his knees out just a little wider in invitation.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

It's slow the way he comes forward. They don't have the cover of drunkenness to hide behind this time. This time when Remus reaches for him they both know he means it, and that difference seems to hover in the air between them. 

"Even sober we're shit at this," Sirius says through a quiet huff of laughter beside Remus' left ear.

"Was there any chance you and I were ever not going to be shit at this?" They are both laughing now. Deep chested, Sirius’ heaves against Remus' shoulder and Remus, in turn, is laughing against the back of his head.

"Come here." This time it's Sirius that moves first, Sirius that runs his hand gently from Remus' neck and into the soft curls at the back of his head, Sirius that whispers  _ Not Sorry, _ Sirius that turns Remus' face up to meet his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on Tumblr as AstoundinglyMade.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Tumblr @astoundinglymade, because you are. Astoundingly made, that is. We all are, it's wild.


End file.
